Railway-car



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet. 1.

- R. H. WYMAN.

.RAILWAY CAR. No. 296.810.' Patejated Apr. 15. 1884.

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R. H. W'YMAN.

v RAILWAY GAR. No. 296,810. Patented Apr. 15, 1884.

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R. H. WYMAN. RAILWAY GAR.. N0. 296,810. Patented Apr. l5, 18.84.

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UNITED STATES PATENT @Tricia RICHARD H. WYMAN, OF EVANSTON, ILLINGIS.

RAILWAY-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 296,810, dated April15, 1884.

l Application filed February 14, 1884. (No model.)

f To all whom it may concern.-

being had to the accompanying drawings, in

which- Figure 1 is an end view of my improved car. Fig. 2 is atransverse sectional view in detail of a portion of the side-board of anopen car,showing a movable bracket attached thereto for the support ofthe cover. Fig. 3 is a side view of the same. Fig. e is a transversevertical sectional view of one side of a car, showing the position ofthe movable cover when open,v as well as the relative position at thattime of the re-enforcing or supporting bars attached thereto. Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail view of a part of the construction shown in Fig. 4,illustrating its connection with the bracket and guide-bar. Fig. 6 is atop view of said bracket with the sliding plate thereon, taken ou theline a: as, Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a transverse vertical sectional view of aportion of the side of a car, showing the side-board and sill, with myimproved brace for retaining said side-board in line. Fig. 8 is atransverse sectional view of the body of a car at or near the center,showing my improved bail-support for the covers; and Fig. 9 is a detailview of a portion of the side of a car, showing the relative positionsof said bail when operated.

Ililreletters of reference indicate corresponding parts..

My invention relates to certain improvements in movable covers for coaland other cars, the essential features of which I have heretoforedescribed in Letters Patent on railway-cars, No. 292,192, issued to meon the 22d day of January, A. D. 1884-; and in 'my application forLetters Patent on railway-car covers, iiled January 21, 188i..

My present application embodies certain improvements in the constructionand operation of covers, as well as certain dcviceslfor preventing theside-boards from loulp-Q'ging"7 or bending, and thereby interfering withthe movement of said covers, and certain means for more effectuallysupporting said covers, all of which is hereinafter more clearly and,fully described.

Owing to the varying height of the trucks used upon open cars by thedifferent railway companies, I have found a difficulty in applying myimproved cover described in said Letters Patent to cars having smalltrucks, orto those in which the body of the car is very low, on accountof the length of the segmental racks described therein. Furtherdiiiiculties arise from the bulging or bending of the sides of the car,as above stated, which tends to interfere with the operation of saidcover. Moreover, the middle of the cover is liable to sag unlessxsupported by some additional means at that point, at which place it isimpracticable to place a rigid or permanent support, as the same wouldinterfere with the loading and unloading of the car. I am enabled toovercome these difficulties and to extend my improvements to a widerheld by dispensing with said racks and applying certain novel supportsand braces, hereinafter described.

In the drawings, A indicates the body or box of the car; B B, the frameor sills, while C C G C are the movable covers, preferably made fromsheet-iron in sections of the entire length of the oar, and providedwith depending flanges c e, to strengthen the same, and

plates c c', to form a walk above when the covers are closed. Bars D Dare placed at each end of the car, the upper ends of which are bolted atd d, or otherwise secured to the sections C C, while the opposite endsof said bars are pivoted to the ends of the car at d d. Levers E E arelikewise placed at each end of said car, the same being pivoted,respectively, at e e, and loosely oonnected'with the bars D D byloops orin any approved manner, whereby they may move upon said bars, and at thesame time actuate the saine. (indicated in'dotted lines at e c) areinterposed to assist the movement thereof.

A bar or shaft, F, one of whi li is shown in Fig. 1, is placed at eachend of the car, respectively, and is provided with right and leftscrew-threads fj' thereon, said shaft being supported horizontally inthe bearings f ff, and having upon one or both ends thereof a hand-wheelor hand-wheels, f2, for rotating the same. Sleeve-nuts G G, preferablymade square and fitting into suitable slots in said bars E E, are placedupon said shaft or bar F, as'shown, each of said sleeve-nuts being Fri@tion-rollers IOO provided with flanges y g, to form Jbearing-surfacesupon said bars E E. It is obvious that the turning of said shafts F willmove the levers E E and D D, respectively, and lower or raise saidco'ver in the manner described in my application above referred to,except that said covers, instead of folding upon each other, asdescribed therein, are made to slide past each other, taking theposition at the side of the car substantially as shown in said LettersPatent hereinbefore mentioned, the supporting devices therefor beingdifferent.

Instead of the segmental racks described iu said Letters Patent, I causea series of bars, H H H H', to be rigidly secured to the lower sides ofsaid sections by means of rivets or bolts It h, (better shown in Figs.4and 5,) said bars taking the same curve as said cover-sections, andassuming positions, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4 when said cover isopen. At the bottom of said box, and extending outward therefrom, arebrackets I, secured to the sill by bolts t', said brackets beingintended to support the sections C C C C at the side -of the car whenthe cover is thrown back, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6. Upon the bottomof said plates C C, and substantially at right angles thereto, arerigidly secured a series of plates, J, corresponding in number to saidbrackets I, and resting thereon, as shown in said last-namedfigures,when said covers are down. Said plates are provided with slotsj, through which run guide-bars K, secured, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5,by bolts k It, to said brackets I and to the. top of the car,respectively. A lug, k', is formed upon each of said guide-bars K, farenough above the bracket I so that when the plate C is lowered the same,having a tendency to press inward against the guide-bar K, will causethe plate J to slide beneath the lugs 7c', and thus lock the same inposition until the sections C C are raised so that the flanges c2 c2thereon engage with the flanges c3 c3 on the top of the sections C C',when said plates J J are released from engagement with said lugs k', asfollows: On the lower ends of each of the curved barsH H are knobs h h',Figs. l, 4, and 8, sufficiently large to prevent said bars H H frompassing o ut of and becoming wholly disengaged from the holes h2 h2,Fig. 6, in the plates J, through which they move up and down. The knobsh It" are beveled, as shown, and the outer ends of the brackets I arelikewise beveled to correspond therewith, as in Figs. 4 and 5. When thesections C C and bars H H are raised, the beveled knobs h h strikeagainst the beveled ends of the brackets I, and in their upwardAmovement are forced outward to pass said brackets, which movement causesthe plates .I to slide outward and become disengaged from the lugs k,when said knobs h h', meeting said plates J, carry the same upward,together with the sections C C', until the sections C C meet at thecenter of the car. It is obvious that said knobs h h should becorrespondingly beveled in the opposite direction, in order to passdownward without being obstructed by said bracket I. The bars H Hl passthrough holes in the brackets I, as clearly shown in Figs. 5 and 6,while the knobs h3 lr thereon prevent the covers from moving too far.All lateral movement from the swaying of the cars is likewise prevented.It is obvious that by virtue of the device described the sections O Gwill always move upward first, and thus prevent a disarrangement of saidcovers which might otherwise be caused by friction and the like. Tosustain said covers rmly in position when raised I provide movable orhinged brackets L upon the sides of the car at the top of the box, Figs.l, 2, 3, anad 4. Said brackets are pivoted or hinged in bearings Z Z insuch mannerthat they may be swung around against the side of the car, asindicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The projecting ends of saidbrackets are connected by rods M M, so that a single movement of saidrods may draw out or push in all the brackets upon the respective sides.To lower the cover the same should first be pushed in as shown in Fig.4, and when said bracket is raised the same are drawn out and thebottoms of the sections C C rest thereon, as in Fig. 2.

It is well known that the strain upon the sides of open cars soon'causes them to bend or bulge out at the top. This renders it difficult,if not impracticable, to use either form of my improved cover withoutsome means for preventing or obviating thesame when it occurs. For thispurpose I. have devised a novel form of brace or support adapted for usein connection with either of the varying forms of cover mentionedherein.

Secured to the bottom of the car by bolts or otherwise, and projectingsomewhat outward from vthe side, I place eyebolts N, Fig. 7,

.through each of which is inserted a brace, O,

the lower end of which is pierced for the reception of a set-screw, I),having a head, p, upon the outside for turning the same, and a shoulder,p', within to bear against said brace.

turns in a downwardly-projecting-lug, p2, bolted to the sill B. Theupper end of the brace bears against a projection, p, secured at or nearthe top of the car. It is apparent that by turning said screw P thebrace O may be caused to bear against said projection, and thus, byhaving a sufficient number of braces, the side of the car may be forcedinto line and so maintained. One or more additional supports for saidcovers, to prevent the same from sagging, may, and I think in practicewould, be required at the center, especially of long cars; and as arigid or stationary support within the car would be undesirable, if notwholly impracticable, I- have provided the following device as beingadapted for use in the same manner as said brace O, with each and all ofmy improved forms of cover, or .with any movable cover operated in anysimilar IOO IIO

-The opposite or threaded end of said screw manner: A detachable arch orbail, Q, Figs. 8 and 9, preferably made from angle or T iron, isinserted in sockets q g, Fig. 8, upon the inside of the car. Saidsockets are rigidly secured to bolts q', extending through the sides ofthe car,where they connect with downwardextending bars R R, preferablymade as shown in Fig. 8, and terminatingin segmental racks. A shaft, S,with pinions s s upon either end, is extended transversely beneath thecar through bearings s s', said pinions engaging with the segmentalracks upon the levers or bars R R. The ends of said shaft are caused toproject, as at s2 s2, Fig. 8, and are squared to receive a wrench orcrank. Said bail is notched, as at g2, Fig. 8, to receive the dependinganges c c therein. 7When said rack is in the position shown in Fig. 9,the bail Q, will be snihciently lowered as to be wholly disengaged fromsaid flanges, which are indi-y cated in dotted lines, and the covers maybe lowered, while on the other hand, when the covers are closed, saidbail may be forced firmly in position by said rack, and said coverssupported thereby. The flanges c @resting in said notch q2, are whollyprevented from lateral movement, and the locking of said rack or pinionserves to effectually lock the car. In loading the car said bail may belifted from the sockets g q, thus leaving it free and unobstructed.

The rounded ends of the car above the usual end boards may be providedwith hinges c2 o? ci, as shown, or may have hinges upon the inside ofsaid end-boards, with shanks extending to the bottomof the car, wherebysaid pieces may be laid ilatly upon the bottom of the car when the coveris thrown back; or the entire cnd-board may be made of one solid piece.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent,

l. In a railwa -car cover, the combination of the movable sections C C CC', provided with the rigid supporting-bars H H H' H', brackets I, andbars `D D and E E, with screwthreaded shaft and sleeve-nuts foroperating the same, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a railway-car cover, the combination ofthe movable sections C C C'G', provided with the rigid supporting-bars H H H' H', brackets I, barsD D and E E, with screwthreaded shaft F, sleeve-nuts G G, for operatingsaid sections, and movable brackets L, for

supporting said sections when closed.

3. In a railway-car cover, the combination of the movable sections C G CG, provided With the rigid supporting-bars H H H' H', having knobs h. hh' It thereon, brackets I, locking-plates J, with bars D D and E E,screw-threaded shaft F, sleeve-nuts G G, and means for operating saidshaft, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In a railway-car cover, the combination of the movable sections (l CC' C', provided with the rigid supporting-bars H H H' H', having knobs hh 7i. h' thereon, brackets I, locking-plates J, movable brackets L, andconnecting-rods M, with bars D D and EE, screwthreaded shaft F,sleeve-nuts G G, and means for operating said shaft, substantially asand for the purposes set forth.

5. rIhe combination ofthe supporting-brace O and set-screw I), havingsuitable bearings, as shown, with the side of a car having movablecovers, whereby said vside may be forced into line and so retained,substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. The combination, with the body of a car having sectional movablecovers, ofthe detachable bail Q, sockets q g, and segmental racks andpinions, whereby said bail may be released from contact with saidsections, and vice versa, substantially in the manner and foi` thepurposes set forth.

7. The combination, with' the body of a car having sectional movablecovers, of the detachable bail Q, provided with the notch Q2, sockets qq, and segmental racks R R, with a suitable shaft and pinions foroperating the same, substantially in the manner and for the purposesspecified. Y

RICHARD H. WYMAN.

Witnesses:

D. H. FLETCHER, HENRY FRINKFURTER.

